NCLEX pass rates in New York
82.4% of New York nursing graduates passed the NCLEX-RN on their first attempt in 2025, 4.3 points below the 86.7% national rate for 2025. In 2023 the figure was 84.5%.
First-time NCLEX-RN pass rate in New York
- 2023 10,961 first-time takers84.5%
- 2024 10,843 first-time takers87.5%
- 2025 11,413 first-time takers82.4%
United States, 2025: 86.7%
All programs combined, US-educated first-time candidates. Source: New York board of nursing, annual (period not stated). National rate from NCSBN. Portions copyrighted by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, Inc. All rights reserved.
By type of program
| Program type | Programs | First-time test-takers | Pass rate | National 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's (BSN) | 50 | 5,681 | 82.8% | 87.6% |
| Associate (ADN) | 67 | 5,625 | 81.6% | 86.1% |
| Entry-level master's | 2 | 180 | 92.2% | – |
Each program's most recent reporting year, pooled. Programs reporting under another school are included in the type that board lists them under.
Highest pass rates among 113 ranked programs
18 programs at 95% or higher, 27 programs at 90% to 94.9%, 44 programs at 80% to 89.9%, 24 programs at under 80%. Pass rates here are pooled over each program's last three reporting years, and only programs with at least 20 first-time test-takers are ranked.
| Program | Type | Pass rate | First-time test-takers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hartwick College | BSN | 99.2% | 122 |
| Cayuga County Community College | ADN | 98.7% | 77 |
| La Guardia Community College | ADN | 98.4% | 253 |
| Erie Community College | ADN | 98.3% | 116 |
| Ulster County Community College | ADN | 98.2% | 55 |
| University at Buffalo | BSN | 98.0% | 350 |
| Farmingdale State College | BSN | 97.3% | 223 |
| Suffolk County Community College | ADN | 96.8% | 494 |
| Arnot Ogden Medical Center | ADN | 96.4% | 28 |
| SUNYC of Tech at Morrisville- Norwich | ADN | 96.4% | 83 |
Every ranked BSN program, with cost and pay, is on BSN programs in New York.
Practical nursing (NCLEX-PN)
Graduates of practical and vocational nursing programs in New York passed the NCLEX-PN on their first attempt 83.5% of the time in 2025, against 86.6% nationally in 2025.
What a pass rate does and does not tell you
The NCLEX is the licensing exam every US nurse must pass. A program's first-time pass rate reflects its students' preparation and the program's selectivity as well as its teaching, and small programs swing widely from year to year, so we pool three years and set a floor of 20 test-takers for ranking. Pass rates also say nothing about cost or what graduates earn.
Compare BSN programs in New York. See how to get a nursing license in New York. Registered nurses in New York earned a median $109,440 in May 2025.